26. Nova Persona

 

Nova Persona: "New Person"

 

 

 

"I don't know what they have in store for me..."

 

 

The one that they shall face is a nova persona.

 

 

"...but I'll face it like the new being I am."

 

 

 

= = = Soundtrack: MBLAQ - It's War = = =

 

"This is strange."

 

Myungsoo-sshi opened up the topic as the seven of us had a crash-course styled meeting inside another VIP room of Club Paradise. It is evident in all our faces that something JUST isn't right in the scenario.

 

Not once did the ReapedSouls EVER attempt luring the SkullBeaters into a fight.

 

Even when I was still with them, it was allways the SkullBeaters initiating the crossfire... not the ReapedSouls.

 

"You tell me. I wasn't prepared for that request from the defensive side of brotherhood world." Hyuna-sshi interjected, a slight irritation hiding in her voice. She must be pissed off because her 'fun time' with her two guys had just been wrecked.

 

"To think that they chose ME to have a word with..." Youngmin-sshi added, worriedly if I may say so, before getting soothed by his twin.

 

"Wait a minute, though. There were ten men, you say? How many talked to you in actuality?" L.Joe-sshi began to ask curiously, and I raised an eyebrow at him, curious at what he's trying to find out.

 

"Yeah, there are ten. But only one actually spoke. He had brown hair... maybe golden-like in shade, mature features, and he's pretty tall too. I saw them when they talked to Hyung-ah..." Kwangmin-sshi began his description, and I tried to ransack my brain for any possible person who might have been the bringer of the message.

 

Firstly, the familiar car they used was one of the cars owned by the Song Brothers. I have seen it in a g-house garage back when I still was a member of the brotherhood, so I know that I couldn't be wrong when I say that it's a group car. So, it could possibly be one of the Song Brothers.

 

"Song Seunghyun, then?" I asked, but immediately withdrew the thought when Kwangmin-sshi shook his head.

 

"I don't think so, Shirin-sshi. He didn't look like one of the two leaders. If he was, I would've recognized him, since I had a chance to fight with them back in the first gangwar we had at Club Mirage... when I almost had you." He said, seriously at first, before dropping a hint of teasing at the end, I just rolled my eyes at him before dismissing his statement.

 

"I know quite a number of guys in the ReapedSouls group who have brown hair, but none of them I could associate with golden-brown locks..." I began speaking, hoping I could shomehow shed light on the matter on the person who had surprised Youngmin-sshi to bits.

 

I know I'm not as close with the Jo Twins during the past few months like how I was with Kai-sshi, but we sure have gotten to know each other.

 

"Then, that person might have been just hired or commanded by the leaders to bring the message." L.Joe-sshi concluded, before looking around, perhaps trying to get an idea of who the person might be.

 

"But, then again, first things first. Are we gonna bite their bait, Myungsoo Hyung?" Kai-sshi butted in, and I glanced at the serious form beside him to have a peek at what might be going on in his head.

 

"I guess, but not without proper precautions first. We have to have more back-up this time, for one..." Myungsoo-sshi began but, even before he was through, Hyuna-sshi was already shaking her head.

 

"But, didn't they already say that the fight will be superiors to superiors this time around? We can't just barge in with an army." She stated, and I nodded in agreement.

 

"Being a former member of the ReapedSouls, I know for certain that when they set parameters to a fight, they stick by it no matter what happens." I said in support of Hyuna-sshi, who just smirked at me.

 

"We need massive strategy, then. The ReapedSouls might have just learned how to be spontaneous nowadays, espeially with the style of attack that they're trying, and they're probably leading us on with what we formerly knew them as. That would make us complacent. Then, when we get there, they might bring their own army with them, breaking what they have set. You can't just eliminate that possibility..." L.Joe cut in, saying his analysis of the situation.

 

He's got a point.

 

"I think I have an idea on how we can win this one, L.Joe Hyung. But I'm gonna need Shirin-ah's help to do it. She knows the inside of Club Mirage more than any of us here... so if her information is still correct, then we might stand a chance against them, with the simultaneous offense-defense tactic they're trying." Kai-sshi suddenly told us, which made all of our heads snap to his direction.

 

"Bring it, Kai-yah. We're all ears." Myungsoo-sshi permitted Kai-sshi to speak with a dark grin on his face. Kai-sshi just smirked back at his leader before motioning us to move closer to each other.

 

"Alright. This is how it goes..."

 

= = =

 

Scrunching of rubber against the pavement was the only sound being heard at the back part of Club Mirage, the battlefield. Kai, Hyuna, and Youngmin kept their weapons at bay and held no tool in their hand, but catiously gazed at their surroundings, all of them having a gut feeling that what one of their members said might actually be correct.

 

In the distance, Sunny, Taemin, and Changjo stayed rooted to their spot in the battlefield, near to the building, but not too close. They too had no weapons on hand, but they sported a serious... but confident expression. The three SkullBeaters tried to hold their ground as they stood face to face with the three ReapedSouls members. Youngmin's eyes momentarily widened as he stood just in front of Changjo, and he looked straight at the young man's face.

 

This guy was the one who brought the message, and the one who tried to take his girl when he paid a visit to GoShinSeok University. Making sure nobody noticed, he placed his hand behind his back and let his two fingers form a letter L.

 

So, it was this guy who brought the message... It was Changjo-sshi.

 

Shirin clenched her hand into a fist as she looked on at the scene in front of her, hiding in the unnocupied lot beside the scope of the club bounds, hiding behind the tree she shot many months ago. She looked behind her, seeing two SkullBeaters subgroups hiding well in scattered locations, a total of twenty-five men. She then tried to look past the other side of the club premises, seeing L.Joe with his own set of twenty-five men.

 

She silently a big huff of air as she continued to watch how Kai and the others were doing, but keeping concern for the SkullBeater leader, and the dark-haired twin with him, at the back of her thoughts.

 

Myungsoo-sshi and Kwangmin-sshi must have gone inside Club Mirage with their own set of twenty-five men now.

 

Kai kept his gaze straight at Taemin, who was eyeing him icily. He felt the familiar kick of recognizing someone in the pit of his stomach, but at that moment, he couldn't put a finger on where he had seen this young man before. That was when he felt the images of his appearance when Shirin was already coming with him... and another picture that wouldn't have had a significance until he recognized Taemin's all-too familiar glare.

 

That bastard. What the hell is he doing here?

 

Hyuna noticed that Sunny suddenly smirked in the silence, and that unsettled her a bit, but then she regained her composure when the name Jang Hyunseung flashed through her thoughts. She understood the lady's smirk. Sunny recognized her, and the recognition is mutual. She now remembers who the woman is... the one who stole her boyfriend of two years from her... Jang Hyunseung.

 

You think I don't recognize you, ? Think again.

 

The next moments that followed would have marked the start of a pandemonium.

 

Guns from different directions began pointing at the three SkullBeaters standing in the battlefield. But they didn't even manage any movement. Instead, they all smirked before raising their right hands...

 

...and all the supposed gunners fell from their hiding places with knives sticking out their backs.

 

Seunghyun, who had been hiding behind some things in the battlefield couldn't take it anymore. He lunged towards Kai, hitting him towards the ground with a force enough to knock the wind out of the younger man, and Taemin followed suit. The other two managed to put Hyuna and Youngmin into a restrictive stance, limiting their movements.

 

"This is for corrupting Shirin-ah's mind." Seunghyun shouted as he punched Kai, who just winced in pain.

 

"And this is for taking Shirin-ah away from me." Taemin continued as he took Kai by the throat and pulled him to an upright position using his hand alone, choking him.

 

Tension was building.

 

Shirin saw this, and as her heart quickened its beats, her feet also quickened its pace to go to where Kai was, before pointing the gun at a spot beisde Taemin's head and shooting, halting all movement in the battlefield. Raw anger and rage rushed through her veins, and she immediately repositioned her gun towards Seunghyun, who had managed to pull himself to a standing position.

 

"Get away from him."

 

Seunghyun's eyes widened at the sight before him... and Taemin was speechless. Shirin was standing before them in all her beauty... and she was pointing a gun not at the SkullBeaters, but rather... at them. They couldn't manage a single movement as shock overtook their bodies.

 

"I said... GET THE HELL AWAY FROM KAI-YAH!"

 

The next moment, Taemin found himself struck to the ground, blood escaping from his lips, and Shirin huffing deep breaths with her right hand curled into a fist. Seunghyun was stunned at this, but he couldn't manage to speak, even as he saw Kai's arm being draped around her shoulder. Even with the added weight, Shirin was still standing straight and tall, pointing her gun this time on Changjo, then shifting it a bit to Sunny.

 

"And release those two SkullBeaters... RELEASE THEM!" She remarked with full authority and finality when the two still weren't let loose. Changjo and Sunny couldn't say anything at all... just like the two men who had been beating up the second-in-command of the SkullBeaters just moments ago.

 

"So, we meet again, BROTHERS. I'm pretty sure you missed me." She said in a surprisingly smooth voice that shocked everyone. Even her voice has become the voice of a stealthy murderer, a true lady leader of a brotherhood.

 

"But I'm no longer your sister, punks. This person you punched black and blue, and those two you bound with your restraining holds are my brothers.. and sister now." She said firmly, even glancing to her right side and smirking at a naughtily smiling Hyuna, before gripping her gun again.

 

"I'm not gonna be used, I'm not gonna be lied to, and I'm not gonna be fooled any longer by all of you, now that I'm with them." She sneered at the ReapedSouls before leading Kai out of the battlefield, with both Youngmin and Hyuna taking out guns and pointing at the ReapedSouls as they made their escape.

 

And no one stopped them.

 

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IMPORTANT:

 

something's wrong with my photobucket, so i can't attach any picture. i'll update this chapter to have pictures once my site is already stable again. =] please wait patiently for it.

 

oh, and before i forget. there's another chapter to be posted tomorrow! <3

 

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IMPORTANT NOTE - EDITED:

 

Pictures are already attached on the chapter. So if you want to see the pictures that correspond to the characters, then it can now be seen. =]

 

All pictures used are for the sake of clothing recognition and venue identification, which aids in better visualization of the story. The pictures are not mine, and I stake no claim on them. Credits go the rightful and respective owners of the media. No copyright infringement intended. Were only re-uploaded for the sake of compilation and assurance of long-lasting viewing activity. Thank you.